Mugshot of Iniko Williams Sr. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A heated confrontation following an auto collision on Rumar Road resulted in one man sustaining injuries from blows to the head with a tire iron, and another man facing felony assault charges for the incident.
According to court documents, on Wednesday patrol officers were dispatched to the location of a collision that included a white Chevrolet Express and a black Acura TSX. Upon their arrival, the responding officers met a colleague from the VIPD's Traffic Division who was already on scene, and aided him in helping to calm things down and regain control. However, Iniko Williams Sr. reportedly maintained his agitation, and further attempts to quell the confrontation led police to discover a passenger in the white van who had sustained head injuries.
The man told police that he and the driver of the white Chevrolet had been traveling along Rumar Road in search of a MoneyGram outlet when their vehicle collided with the Acura. Williams, the Acura’s driver, reportedly demanded money, and continued his aggression even after receiving $200 from the van’s driver. Hostilities escalated to the extent that Williams reportedly retrieved a tire iron from his vehicle and used it to strike the Chevy passenger twice in the head, causing injuries to his left side. For his part, Williams told police that he could not recall what happened after his vehicle had been struck.
Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station reportedly showed Williams behaving aggressively towards the van’s passenger, ultimately retrieving an object from his trunk and using it to hit the other man several times in the head. He was subsequently arrested and charged with simple assault and third-degree assault, and was turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his first court appearance.
In court on Friday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis found probable cause to uphold both charges against Williams, and bail was established at $25,000 unsecured.
Williams is now restricted to the St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island jurisdiction, and must contact the probation office every week by telephone. He has also been ordered to keep a minimum distance of 100 feet from the victim and witness in the matter.
The next court appearance for Williams has been scheduled for February 2.
